Gaelic Sea Gets Air Conditioning

[Captain Smollett]

A well-respected KISS sailor once told me that the key to living aboard with my family, especially on a small KISS boat, is "reduction of misery."  We got to apply that sage advice.

Well, we bit the bullet this weekend and installed A/C on the boat.  I resisted for a while, but this weekend's weather got the best of me.

Friday: 85*, 100% RH
Saturday: 89*, 97% RH

A bit cooler on Sunday, and of course, this week is cooler yet...but, with rain, so with the hatches closed up it still gets mighty warm inside.

The problem was getting a good night's sleep with it so hot and especially humid.  It has not been too bad when we had even the slightest breeze coming through (both hatches open and fans to help push some air), but Friday night was still, and HUMID. 

"Sleep is a weapon."  --- Robert Ludlum.

After Friday night, it was ME that suggested we cross over to the dark side.

Also finally installed our awning over the boom to keep some sun off the cabin.

This kinda kills our 'sail away in 30 minutes or less' rule, but we are still less than an hour, so, not too bad.

Cost:  $99 for a small window unit from Lowes, plus a couple of $ for 2x2 and some SS screws.  Becky rejected outright even the notion of $800 for a 'marine' hatch A/C.

First night, as an expedient, we installed in the companionway, but that was not going to work long term since the children could not get in/out and B had difficulty getting in/out.

So, I fashioned a 'duct' out of 2x2 frames and some scrap luan I had to put it on the forehatch.  Others in the marina do this with foam duct taped in place.  I went with something a little more "rigid" to ease taking it on/off - theirs takes a while to fashion all that tape.  Now I have just a couple of strips of tape to peel off and lift the whole A/C and "duct" as an assembly.

A piece of cardboard from the unit's box serves as the baffle to separate in/out flow on the front  of the A/C.

Results:

Yesterday, the boat cabin at the companionway was right at 90*.  Turned on the A/C and within about 30 minutes, that temperature (the farthest point from the A/C unit), it had dropped 5*.  Another hour had it down to 80*.  The forecabin was chilly.

Perhaps the funnest part was the thermocline  at about waist height in the main cabin.  Actually, I was amazed by the difference just putting up the awning made.  I see a bimini installation in my future.

We have all slept better the last two nights.

[AdriftAtSea]

Awnings and biminis make a big difference in cabin temp.  Sounds like a good installation...especially making the ductwork rigid and mounted to the AC unit.  The tape method sounds like a royal PITA.

[Shipscarver]

I went to Home Depot today and looked at A/C units. I was going to build a Mahogany step-on box to put the unit in, opening front/ back into the companionway lower hatch cover section.  However, after reading others ideas I am working on drawing a plan for a fold up teak face plywood housing to feed it into the forward hatch. I like the idea of a foam lining but it will probably have to be removable to work with a fold and stow design.
BTW - I currently use R-8 foam glued to a slice of corrugated cardboard, fitted inside the V-Berth Hatch to keep it dark and a bit cooler. But, I do have to apply new tape every time I take it out to open the hatch, and anticipate periodic replacement of the foam sheeting as a result of push/pull crumble.

[Shipscarver]

Well, my prior plan has not happened yet. Too many other projects have arisen as a result of moving aboard full time.  However, I did buy a $99.99, 5000 BTU window A/C unit. I was afraid to get a bigger unit since I only have a 20 AMP shore line.
The heat and humidity drove me bonkers (very definitive term)! So, rather than wait to get the housing done for the forward hatch I bought some R8 insulation sheet form to sit the unit on, slid the unit in front of the companionway, cut more R8 to fit inside the companionway overhead slider (when closed from the inside) as well as a slab to fit the area between the top of the unit and the overhead slider to better insulate the plywood single sheet slid-in companionway door I made with a cutout for the A/C. 
The A/C unit weighs 40 pounds, so I can slide it over when I enter or exit, and when I want to lock up with the regular companionway vented slid-ins, I stand on the inside companionway steps and lower it to the stove top just inside the companionway. The old alcohol flame thrower never looked so good in hot weather before.
BTW -- 5000 BTU works great, even here in FL. on a 109 degree Heat Index day, for my 27 footer. Sorry about you folks with big boats.   ;D
And, I have a little shore Amperage left over.  ;D ;D ;D

[CharlieJ]

Just helped a customer install a 5000 BTU unit in a 32 footer- same deal- made a drop board the unit is mounted into, put some handles on top for lifting.It cools the whole boat quite nicely here in south Texas.